


And there they dimmed amongst the lilies fair

by apprenticeandfamiliar



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Birblian, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), I just want Birblian to be happy, I played the reversed ending and I have feelings, Julian Devorak Route - Reversed Ending, Named Apprentice (The Arcana), So far a one-shot but might turn into multichapter who knows, so maybe this is partially fix-it fic partially therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26182333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apprenticeandfamiliar/pseuds/apprenticeandfamiliar
Summary: Trapped in the Hanged Raven, Miranda wants to find a way outside for Julian and for her.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	And there they dimmed amongst the lilies fair

The world...

Miranda does need to make an effort sometimes to remember the world outside of the Hanged Raven. There's a strange hook in her heart when she manages to do so, and always, always, Julian is there, trying to ease her mind from those thoughts.

Most of the time, she forgets.

But not this time.

She stands, a strange need taking hold of her, as she approaches the door, but the access is cut all too quickly by a veil of darkness.

"No!" The voice of Julian booms in her ear as she is yanked away from the door and falls with him to the cluttered ground.

It takes her a moment to realise what is happening. The darkness, the acute pain in her arms, Julian's voice saying words she cannot distinguish until her breath evens...

"What were you thinking, Miranda?" He asks, and since no answer comes, he repeats, the anger in his voice giving way to worry. "Miranda?"

Once the veil of darkness is lifted and he helps them both up, she cannot help but let out a choked scream of pain as she sinks to her knees.

Blood trickles down her arms. When she is able to process what has happened, she also realises her whole body is shaking, and her vision is blurry because of the tears that are falling down her cheeks.

"No. Nononono..." She hears Julian, when he realises what has happened, and looks at him as she wipes her tears, and he kneels down to be at her level.

He tries to reach for her, but she crawls backwards, away from him, a fear that she would have never expected taking hold of her.

"I..." He starts saying, his hand still in mid-air, but he lowers it, looking down. "I am sorry."

Two small figures approach them. One flying in circles, and the other landing on Miranda's lap.

Malak caws, just as Ariel looks up at her,worry obvious on the squirrel's face as he starts fidgeting with her arms and climbs up her chest, squeaking.

"I-I am fine," Miranda replies, caressing Ariel's grey fur before moving her arms and showing him how she cures her wounds with her magic. "See? I am fine."

Even if Ariel doesn't seem too sure, he perches on her shoulder as she stands up and goes to Julian, still on his place, still kneeling and looking down in shame.

Her fingers ghost tentatively over his cheek. She wishes she could say something, but now is not the time for words.

She makes Julian look up at her. But, even if she tries to wipe his tears, he looks aside.

"No wonder why you want to leave me." He says. "I have proved it, I am a monster. I will only hurt..."

"Enough of that, Julian." Miranda cut him, more serious than what she expected at first. "I do not want to leave you. But I want to leave this place."

He looks back at her, his eyes wide.

"You are safe here."

"What use is it if the rest of the world is suffering?" Tears fall down her cheeks again. "What use is it if you are suffering?"

It takes her a moment to notice how paralysed with horror he is. It is as if a realization had dawned upon him.

"You..."

"What?" She cannot help but ask, impatience and worry obvious in her tone.

"You asked me the same question... Before you caught the Plague."

It comes back, like a stream. Her begging him to stop, to rest, she could do things for him... But he would not let her.

And things ended how they did.

"That is the past, my love." She kneels in front of him and rests her fingers under his chin. "And we've both come a long way from it."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"I don't care how it feels now." She admits. "Because I know how it is."

"I wish I could see it as you do."

"I'll prove it to you." She replies, kissing him before she stands up.

"What are you going to do?" He asks, but the question stays suspended in the air as she moves to another room.

Miranda knows, just knows of another place where they will be safe. A place the Devil, hopefully, has not touched yet.

Because he cannot touch her.

She places her hand on the wooden wall, channelling her magic as best as she can, with a destination in mind.

Ariel, in the meanwhile, goes back to the other room, probably to alert Malak so they both can get Julian there with her.

The wall begins to fold, to reveal a landscape that she has never seen, but that she knows too well.

A garden, with flowers in bloom, and beyond it, the cliffs and the landscape of the Fool's card.

Her kingdom.

"What...?" She hears Julian behind her.

"The Fool's realm." Miranda beams a smile at him and takes his hand as Ariel and Malak make their way to the other side.

Without giving him time to reply, she does the same, taking him with her as the portal closes behind them.

"W-What have you done?" He asks, fear obvious in his gaze and tone.

"What I should have done a long time ago." She says, offering him a reassuring smile before throwing herself in his arms.

They both fall on the grass, and it is soft, like falling on a mattress.

Miranda laughs, ecstatic, even if Julian still does not seem so sure.

But she kisses him and it seems to soothe him.

“Perhaps, perhaps this is not that bad after all...”

Even if the chains that constrain him, his deals with the Devil, are still there, it seems as if a weight has been lifted from him. He even smiles at her, and it is the first time in a long while that Miranda sees that smile that is so... so Julian.

She settles in his arms as they enjoy a moment of peace.

They will soon start the search for the others. Portia, Nadia, Asra, Mazelinka... They will find them, they will bring them here and they will find a way to restore what theDevil had broken.

But they can spare a moment for now, and forget their cares, for a moment, among the flowers of her realm.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Title from the poem “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St John of the Cross, specially the translation used by Lorena Mckenitt.
> 
> \- What can I say other than the fact that the reverse ending made me feral and that I needed more content regarding it, specially more content that hinted at happy possibilities for Julian and the Apprentice
> 
> \- Also both Miranda (my Apprentice) and Ariel (Her familiar, a flying squirrel)’s names are taken from Shakespeare's The Tempest.


End file.
